Milestones

Firefighters control wind-driven wildfire near Loveland

Crews from across northern Colorado raced Saturday morning to tame a fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire near a subdivision at Carter Lake southwest of downtown Loveland.

No structures were lost, and the blaze charred about 15 acres before crews had it under control about three hours later. Initial estimates pegged the fire's size closer to 30 acres, but officials believe that number will be reduced after further review.

"The wind really was quite substantial," Berthoud Fire Protection District operations Chief Robert Stumpf said. "We're fortunate that we got it knocked down as quickly as we did."

Arcing power lines whipped together by the wind apparently sparked the blaze, he added. The affected area was along a steep, rugged hill to the east of the lake.

Crews from Berthoud, Loveland, Fort Collins, Johnstown, Windsor, Larimer County and the state were on the scene and had the fire completely contained by late Saturday afternoon.

Mop-up efforts lasted into the afternoon. In total, 16 units were utilized.

A helicopter led a brief aerial attack near Sedona Hills Drive and Snowy Ridge Lane, and a late-morning fly-over revealed no more active flames and only minor smoke patches, which were being tended to.

As crews responded throughout the morning, winds were gusting up to 30 mph and temperatures quickly climbed to springtime levels. The high temperature in the area was expected to approach 70 degrees.

Advertisement

"We have been unseasonably warm," said Jim Kalina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Average high temperatures for this time of year run in the mid-40s.

The warm and windy weather also stirred up the persistent Fern Lake fire in Rocky Mountain National Park heading into the weekend.

The blaze started Oct. 9 and has burned about 1,370 acres with smoke flare-ups noticeable every few days across the Front Range. As of Friday, it was still only 45 percent contained, and crews don't expect full control for several weeks.

A heavy helicopter and six smoke-jumpers were ordered on Saturday to help in the fire effort.

A red-flag warning for dry, gusty mountain winds remains in effect for much of the region. No precipitation is forecast for at least the next week, though temperatures will drop closer to average.

"It's a little bit uncommon," Kalina said of the dry, windy conditions. "But we have had situations like this around this time of year."

The National Weather Service's Seasonal Drought Outlook, released this month, indicates that, overall, drought conditions will persist through most of the Great Plains and Rockies through the winter. The three-month temperature outlook calls for "enhanced chances of above-normal temperatures."

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story